• Contestants will travel one of the fastest courses ever assembled on the Race - spanning eight countries in just 21 days. Season 15 also features the quickest elimination in the history of the series, sending one Team home before they leave the starting line. Teams fortunate enough to avoid the surprise elimination and compete for the $ 1 million prize will face the "Switchback," which sends Teams back to the site of one of the series' most infamous Roadblocks, as well as a surprise appearance by one of America's most beloved entertainers, a visit to the world's tallest building and a spicy twist on a Japanese game show.

• "This season we wanted to keep the Racers and our fans on their toes and make sure no one gets too comfortable," stated Bertram van Munster, Executive Producer and Co-Creator of THE AMAZING RACE. "We're adding some new surprise elements including our quickest elimination ever as well as revisiting one of the most challenging Roadblocks our Teams have ever encountered during our past 15 seasons."

Entertainment Weekly•Contestants in The Amazing Race;s 15th installment begin their frenzied sprint around the world in Los Angeles and immerdiately jet off to Toyko, where things get rather spicy. "We threw'em right in the middle of a Japenese game show , where there's a couple hundred people cheering them on and jsut going berserk," says exec producer Bertram Van Munster."They have to eat this unbelievable wasabi bomb. And that's just the introduction!" The 21 day race, which also hits countries as Estonia, offers and array of contestants including Harlem Globetrotters, female professional poker players (who prove to be "tough as nails"), a man with Asperger's syndrome, and yes, a highly combustible husband/wife tandem. ("This guy was so frustrated with something, I thought he was going to break his hand," notes Van Munster.) And we're extremely curious to watch the roadblock: "We have a challenge that involves 2,000 animals," boasts van Munster. "I have tried this for years and finally pulled it off. It will make you laugh and cry."

AP•For the first time, one team will be booted at the start of the trek, and racers will have to tackle the Switchback, a new twist that sends teams back to one of the series' most challenging "roadblocks." Executive producer Bertram van Munster said the racers will set off from the Los Angeles River, then first head to Tokyo to complete several zany tasks.

•"Have you ever seen Japanese tourists following a tour guide with a little flag?" said van Munster. "Well, our contestants are going to be the tour leaders. Each team is going to have to run a group of 20 tourists through the center of Tokyo as fast as they can. Whoever brings their entire tour group to the Pit Stop first will be the number one team."

EW:• The action begins at the Los Angeles River, and for the first time in show history, a team will be eliminated mere yards from the starting gate. The challenge involves a fence with thousands of license plates—some of them from Japan (which serves as the first destination). “Twenty four people run up and frantically start grabbing license plates, but they’re wrong because as usual they don’t read their clue,” chuckles van Munster. “Eventually a team gets eliminated—they see the cars drive off and it is bye-bye. We told them 100 times, ‘Read your clue. Repeat after me: Read your clue.’ They don’t read the clue. It’s unbelievable. Nothing has changed.”

• Once they get to Tokyo, Racers find themselves on a Japanese game show, and they have to eat a tear-inducing Wasabi bomb. Notes van Munster: “Even the Japanese are horrified by it, which is good. If the Japanese are horrified by another game show, then we’re on the right track.”

• When contestants arrive in Vietnam, they face down a Roadblock involving 2,000 ducks. “You have to show how good you are in guiding these ducks from one end of a soccer field, across a little bridge to the other end, turning them around and bringing them back into the pen,” explains van Munster. “It turns into total duck madness. It’s just hysterical… I’ve tried for eight years to integrate it into the show, and we never succeeded in getting [contestants] to do it. They know it’s too difficult. So I said, ‘Roadblock!’”

• In Dubai, competitors will be presented with a chilling Detour: They have to take snow from an indoor ski area and build a snowman outside in the scorching Middle East heat. “The quality of the snow changes instantly the moment you bring it out,” chuckles van Munster. “And the snowman can’t be a little one—it has to be five-, six-foot-high snowman with eyes and a real carrot in his nose.”

• In another first for the show, one of Race’s most infamous Roadblocks is revisited. “It is so crazy and difficult to do, and it was so amazing the last time we did it,” says van Munster. “And it’s just as crazy and amazing this time.”

• Although this Race takes place over a relatively brisk 21 days, van Munster insists that it won’t be any easier. “Very often in the middle of the series, [the contestants] get kind of cozy with each other and there could be a little bit of a lull,” he notes. “In this race, there is no lull. There is pedal-to-the-metal competition. They’re constantly overtaking each other. Every time we stand at the finish line we were blown away who gets eliminated and who stays in.”

• Among the contestants to watch:

-Herbert and Nathaniel from the Harlem Globetrotters. (“Great sense of humor.”)

-Justin and his best friend Zev, who has Asperger’s Syndrome. (“The things Zev says are so right on the money and they come from left field… You’re gonna love that team.”)

-Professional poker players Maria and Tiffany. (“They are incredibly shrewd. They are tough as nails… They’d do anything to win. They blew me away.”)

-Keri and her aggressive lawyer-fiance Lance. (“He’s so combustible. He whacked a piece of wood so hard, he opened his hand.”)

• Van Munster adds that he prefers to feature fresh contestants rather than familiar faces on Race. “I was never fond of ‘All-Stars’ and stuff like that,” he explains. “A cast like this is proof that to have new people is always a good idea, because every time we find new characters, new stories, new energy, new karma, you name it.”

Los Angeles LAX to Tokyo Japan 7/18 --caper comes across a permit to film WRP Group

photo credits Chateau d if

Many LAX sightings via TwitterDr_Emperor: just saw the amazing race people run through lax. what's amazing is them not having to wait in line.

dslaybaugh:Here @ LAX & a couple from the show "Amazing Race" came rushing to the AA counter. Cameras & all. How fun. .. It seems that the Amazing Race teams r on our flight to Japan. How fun! http://twitpic.com/ashyf... Made it to Japan. Amazing Race ran off the plane!

credits:Chateau d IfcaperharleypeachSlowhatchmswoodKogsBoingograytexas well as credits throughout this thread to the team work of our enthusiastic forum members

Cai Be, Vietnam

spoiled by CBS, lol

EW:• When contestants arrive in Vietnam, they face down a Roadblock involving 2,000 ducks. “You have to show how good you are in guiding these ducks from one end of a soccer field, across a little bridge to the other end, turning them around and bringing them back into the pen,” explains van Munster. “It turns into total duck madness. It’s just hysterical… I’ve tried for eight years to integrate it into the show, and we never succeeded in getting [contestants] to do it. They know it’s too difficult. So I said, ‘Roadblock!’”

Hồ Chí Minh", Vietnam 7/22 -23?

Twitter: AbeFrellman "Saw a finishing leg of "The Amazing Race" being filmed outside HCMC's Reunification Palace this morning."With a follow up after a question:"They actually pulled up in a cab, yelled "Go! Go!" like they were GIs, then ran (once cued) towards the host near a tank. 3:12 AM Jul 23rd

Blog: posted on 7/26 *we stumbled upon the Amazing Race being filmed in Vietnam (both on the Mekong and in HCMC)*was so excited to take a picture with Phil (the host)*Second, they were told not to tell anybody that TAR was being filmed here.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia 7/24 -25? Tweets:girlclumsy: I would've asked for his autograph but I don't know his name - my theory is "The Amazing Race" will be in Angkor Wat this season!10:08 AM Jul 24th

girlclumsy: Have been drinking in the Foreign Correspondents Club in Phnom Penh. And the host of "The Amazing Race"was there as well!10:07 AM Jul 24th

girlclumsy: Amazing Race fans - today they were spotting running about the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh. I think we're going to catch them at Angkor. 6:47 AM Jul 25th

jeni_mama: was at the park where they also have temple in phnom penh, cambodia yesterday and saw amazing race: asia being filmed* managed to get photos of three teams from amazing race: asia. was only few steps away from ém!10:40 PM Jul 25th

So, after running the errands on that day, we decided to go to wat phnom. As we parked and we were about to enter the front entrance, but we were told to go to next entrance to the park because they were filming something. That was when I first took picture of that cameramen waiting for teams to arrive. At first, I thought that maybe they were filming one of Cambodian movies because the Cambodian cops said they didn't know what it was for but all they knew was that they had to block it off from public, and there were limited areas where we could go.Then my mom told me that she thinks that it is for Amazing Race (she follows Amazing Race as well). So we went to the next entrance which was not even a minute walk away from the front entrance, to find the monkeys. But it was odd, because we couldn't find a single monkey there, and my relatives said they were surprised because they always see monkeys there every day (they live in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and I'm Cambodian-American myself as well), so we suspected that the city probably moved those monkeys for the filming. All of the sudden, someone tapped on my shoulder and told me to look at two Caucasian men wearing red, with black backpacks and that was when I realized that they were filming Amazing Race show. The cameramen that rode with them in Cambodia's "taxi" stayed to pay the taxi driver while the team ran off, since the other cameramen were already there waiting to film them. After paying taxi driver, those cameramen went to catch up with their team. I ran to take pictures of them but they were already on the stairs to the temple. So I waited nearby where I was allowed (I couldn't get any closer because they don't want people to interfere with the competition, which is understandable). I think maybe about 10-15 minutes later, I saw another taxi passed the front entrance, and they stopped at the same entrance where I entered, and I think they realized that they stopped at the wrong entrance, because they did not enter that entrance, and instead, they ran to the front entrance and entered there. I had to zoom in and take pictures of the 2nd team I saw when they stopped at wrong entrance. They were black men wearing blue jerseys with "Harlem" on the back. As soon as they entered the front entrance, they put on some type of masks (I think it was African masks but I'm not too sure), and started running. Their cameramen later caught up with them. I waited a little longer while for another team. I saw the 3rd team stopped at front entrance. One was Caucasian man, and one black woman. Both were wearing yellow. I took a quite several photos of them, and their cameramen as well. I stayed and waited for another team to arrive but then I couldn't stay any longer because I already had the day planned out. That was my The Amazing Race encounter.

superboysoccer: heyy i am in cambodia and i was watching the amazing race asia!!! in real life, not watching the tv....10:27 PM Jul 25th

Saturday, July 25, 2009i'm sorry to tell you but you're the last team to arrive THE AMAZING RACE!!!I love the show! Despite the reality tv tag, it beats a hell of a lot of tv programming on the air right now. I've always wanted to be a part of the show. And today, I possibly could be! No, I did not get on as a contestant. That would be great if I did but alas, not the case. What happened was, I potentially can be seen in the background. LOL. I know, nothing much to shout about but it is my fave reality competition.

They were filming in the market I was shopping at and one pair's camera guy actually stopped and took a 5 second shot of me, winked and ran off after the couple he was attached to. I was filmed by a crew of "The Amazing Race"!! Also, I passed by multiple pairs and their camera and sound guy so hopefully I will appear in one or another shot. Yea. My claim to fame will be a background, blink-and-you'll-miss-it part in "The Amazing Race"!

All in all, I bumped into 5 pairs. The first was a male-male partnership, second was a couple who looked really miserable, third was another couple wearing matching dark blue tees and the guy was wearing a bandanna - rambo-style (this is when I got filmed), fourth was another male-male pair I think - one of em had a combo of neon green with some pink hair and lastly was a girl-girl pair - an asian chick with a white girl. The only definite film capture that I know of is when I bumped into the third pair. And that's even if he wasn't just pointing the cam in my face and pretending to take a shot

If it was my 5 seconds of fame shot then of course, it's all dependant on the editing guys so crossing my fingers that I don't end up on the cutting room floor. I hope to see myself on "The Amazing Race". I wish I could meet Phil though. Have a run towards the mat and do the whole jump and get checked in routine. That would be super great if that happened! I'm so dorky but what else can I say.

**It was on a Saturday, July 25. You guessed right, I was at the Russian Market in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It was in the afternoon at about 2:30 p.m. I didn't manage to get any photos because it was a complete and total suprise and I wasn't carrying my camera or my phone with me. If you do send me the pictures, I can possibly identify the pairings I saw. I am interested to know more about the "miserable"-looking couple I saw. To be fair, the market is hot, confusing and full of people and I can understand if they felt overwhelmed by everything. A number of pairs went around and around the market quite a few times. The first one out of the market was the first male-male pair I saw.

*** Also, about the Independance Monument being the next point after Russian Market, there's no way any team in their right mind would walk all the way there from Russian Market. It's too far, you'd waste a lot of time. And I saw some team, I can't recall which, take the tuk-tuk (motorcycles attached with a carriage-like cab) after coming out of the market.

*** reply after viewing the team photos:

Hi again!

Ok, had a look at the teams and well, they are pretty cleaned up in the pictures () but the one's I can definitely identify are: Cannan Smith and Mika Combs (Rambo guy)Maria Ho and Tiffany MichelleGary and Matt TomljenovichMeghan Rickey and Cheyne Whitney (miserable couple)The ones I'm iffy about are the male-male pair. I'm pretty sure one of the guys wasn't that tall. I'm 5'4" and he didn't look that much taller than me when he passed by. Either that or I actually saw a girl and thought it was a guy for some reason.

I'm not sure if they were there for a detour or a road block as the market is big and the teams I saw did have to go round and round a number of times. It might have been they had to find a stall and get their next clue from there. It could be the shop was selling either motorcycle parts or household items or from the wet market as I had canvassed (albeit not diligently) the other half of the market and found no red and yellow flag in the handicraft, fabric and clothing section. This is also because I saw most of the pairs going through the half of the market I was in looking dejected and irritated and then gravitate towards the spare parts, household items and wet market area. There are a few goldsmiths on that side as well. There's also a well hidden, I wanna say apothecary type place, but I don't particularly know what goes on behind those doors so can't say for sure if that could be a possible TAR thing. I can say with some degree of certainty that it wasn't an eating challenge because at the point I saw the father-son pair and poker girls, I was sitting in the food arcade area (and I use the term loosely) and was having drinks when they went through. Didn't seem to see any flags there either.

The first team I saw was the male-male pair (which I'm suspect now since I can''t recall them from any of the pics) and they were also the first team to leave. The second team I saw leave was the blue t-shirt team and the last pair in the market as I left was the asian girl-caucasian girl pair. I can't tell if the other pairs I had seen had left at that point but the girls were the straggling TAR team. They were at most one hour behind the first pair. But I'm guessing from the pics on the forum the poker girls managed to get on to the next leg.

Blog: So, I will continue to stand in awe of Him and follow Him where He leads.

Lastly, we went to Wat Phnom which, to be honest the meaning got lost in the excitement of seeing one of the last legs of the Amazing Race!! A section was blocked off and our Cambodian friend who was showing us around the city asked what was going on. Through some investigation we found out that the contestants from the Amazing Race were to meet the host at the top of the mountain of Wat Phnom. We went up and got a look at the host and the first team that arrived. On our way out we saw the next 2 teams arrive and were able to get some pictures and video. Of all the days and places, eh? It was crazy and random!

Blog:We spent much the of the afternoon walking around the city. We visited the King's Royal Palace which was spectacular. While waiting in line to enter, a bunch of Americans and video cameras ran through the crowd towards the palace. While everyone was baffled, I had to explain that they were filming an episode of the American tv program the Amazing Race. While Susan and I were getting tickets, one of the teams cut us to request their money back (they were apparently at the wrong place).

Dubai, UAE 7/26 -

gerry-doyleBlog: It was even more surreal and science-fictiony up close. Like a slender finger reaching into space. Made slightly more surreal by a) the Bellagio-style water show in the lake next to it, and b) the Amazing Race participants looking for clues as we left the restaurant where we ate dinner. For real.

GerryIn Reply to peachI'd be happy to answer your questions, but a big caveat first: although we spoke to a couple of the contestants and it sure appeared to be the amazing race, no one could confirm because they all cited confidentiality agreements.

having said that, here's what we saw: it was roughly 10:30 p.m. dubai time on sunday, july 26. we were coming out of urbano, a restaurant in souk al bahar. they were not in the restaurant; they were looking for a checkpoint outside. (it turned out to be near the dubai mall taxi stand, by a giant statue of a black horse.) when we got up close to the checkpoint, we could see that it was a sign-in sheet, and there was a producer waiting nearby to hand the contestants instructions. the teams we saw were each one man, one woman, in their 20s or early 30s, dressed in t-shirts and giant backpacks. we didn't get any pictures of the contestants... sorry.

Gerry to peach:Pretty good confirmation of two more teams from our Dubai source, after reviewing the pics I sent:

**I'm pretty sure the guy we briefly talked to was the male half of the maroon team. the two we encountered outside the restaurant were, I'm fairly certain, jodah and michelle. Who we originally misidentified for Canaan & Mika

kolijohnjoliFirst tweet! What a better way to start but to tell u that i saw some teams from the amazing race on my flight to dubai! I love that show!!

kolijohnjol in reply to graytex

This in a PM from the guy on the flight to Dubai...I'm trying to get flight details as well:Their seemed to be team consisting of two females (one looked asian, the other american i am guessing!) and too tall 'black dudes.' i dont remember seeing anyone else but i will ask my friend i travelled with and may get back to you!This is before he said, "And a hot blonde...". All of those sound exactly like 3 of our teams.

EW:• In Dubai, competitors will be presented with a chilling Detour: They have to take snow from an indoor ski area and build a snowman outside in the scorching Middle East heat. “The quality of the snow changes instantly the moment you bring it out,” chuckles van Munster. “And the snowman can’t be a little one—it has to be five-, six-foot-high snowman with eyes and a real carrot in his nose.”

creditswalkingpneumonia graytex peach

Groningen, Zoutkamp, The Netherlands 7/30

Dutch Samadhi Hello, I'm an inhabitant of the beautiful province of Groningen, Zoutkamp, the Netherlands. We've had a tv shootings of some kind in the harbour or dock (I don't know what the name is in English). The provincial tv-station aired a short item on the tv-shootings. Initially a local told it was shootings for the american version of the mole, but since the item on the local tv-station showed two names, namely Ericka & Brian I searched the internet and found two contestants for The Amazing Grace 15 named like that. A former Miss Amerca and her husband. I didn't recognize anyone, but there were teams of two people. They had to bycicle from a town called vierhuizen (you can use Googlemaps) to our town Zoutkamp. They wore traditional clothes from Volendam and bycicled to the harbour where they talked to someone on a boat and after that they went on to dance traditionally or they had to do farmers golf a traditional Groninger sport. I'm saying this to make sure that people will know it was not Volendam that was portraited, but our beautiful small vilage groningen. Please make sure people will know this in America.

Blog by sparkibaken.se The first team in front the wide counter in order to try few tickets to the air transport.After a long air trip, I am now home again. The air trip did not become however entire ointressant. In Amsterdam so came it first forward a guy and girl and called out about it there some that wanted to transfer its tickets to them then they were with in a TV programme and needed come to Stockholm fastest possible. No bitten however, but they succeeded nevertheless to come with on their stand village tickets.Apart from the team with the pair (that also are visible on the picture) had time to three other teams with product in photographer and sound guy with. A team asked me about I where from Stockholm, and when I said that I where it became I filmed when I portrayed the fastest road to take themselves from Arlanda to green grove. I might also type on a paper that I the my approved possible participation. I asked what the where pursues programmes, and I did not get the name on it, but they come in all cases from USA. Reminded little about Amazing race thought I. It was in all fall comfortabley with little performance after it 10-timmars the long first flight.

Terese @ sparkibaken.se kindly repiles The teams I saw was the boy and the girl (that are in the first picture), a african american team with two guys with Harlem Globetrotter-jackets, a team with a guy with pink(?) hair and then the last team with two black haired guys (I think one or two of them had glasses). It was the last couple who asked me about the fastest way to Gröna Lund and they wondered what was the highest point there.

Tallinn, Estonia 8/3

Tallinn, Estonia by primefun *Hi guys, im a long time reader of this forum, now finally had a chance to post as i have something worth posting... mate of mine is right now on a ferry with the TAR teams, the ferry goes from Sweden to Estonia, they are supposed to arrive in Tallinn at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning... will surely go there to have a look only info i got was that he personally saw like 3-4 teams... any last minute suggestions for tomorrow morning? ** pictures by primefun

Blog find by uycocoa SPEAKING OF AMAZING...I was in Tallinn today with the interns and the GC&SU team that served at Brett's camp, and while we were there we wandered into the square in Old Towne. I heard one of the guys say, "They're filming something over there...wait, isn't that the guy from 'The Amazing Race?'"

My head whipped around to where they were pointing, and I yelled out "Phil!!!"Yes, it was in fact Phil Keoghan, host of "The Amazing Race," filming a segment for what I guess was the Estonian leg of my favorite reality show EVER. I almost peed myself. I'm not even ashamed to admit it. It was incredible.

The craziest part about it is that my mom and I had just had a full conversation about the show on Wednesday when we were talking on Skype. We've been talking about applying for the show for awhile now, but we have to wait until I'm 21 so I'll be eligible to race. We explained our full strategy to Chris the other night...when we're one the show, we will be the crazy Christian women that praise Jesus and throw our competitors under the bus. We will annihilate the competition.

Really, I just took the moment as a sign from God that I am definitely supposed to be on the show. Then my beloved Phil and I will be reunited, and I won't have to worry about the production people coming up to me and asking me not to yell at him and to avoid standing in the back of the frame and staring.

"Postimees managed today to chase up the competitors of the amazing race, we ran through 2 check points with them. We received information that the world-known show Amazing Race has reached Tallinn and the first destination is the "house of the black heads". So we had to go and check it out.

Before noon the front of the house was pretty quiet, except for a lady hanging around the place and who wouldnt give out a single comment. After a while 2 girls showed up who were running up the Pikk street looking for the "house of the black heads" and asking the local construction workers about the destination.

After knocking on the door they were let in where they supposedly had to solve some tasks to receive information about their next destination. Soon the ladies were running towards an information point in the Harju street while asking for help from the locals. The fact that the next destination was the Hermann tower we managed to find out only from the information point as the questions asked from the cast and and cameramen were left unanswered.

While on their way there the girls were discussing among themselves and assuming they would be the fastest team but upon reaching the clue box their joy diminished as they pulled out the last clue.

After that we managed to lose the team who ran towards the downtown. Asking from the local salesmen revealed 3 or 4 teams had been around an hour ago looking for the same clue box in Hermanni tower.

How many teams are still running in the competition we didnt find out but based on a clue received from our reader we can assume there were at least 5 teams competing. Also we found out the teams arrived at 10 a.m. from sweden on board the ship Victoria

Tiffany & Maria (decoys?) << pics by postimees

BlogWe walked along the back of Old Town up to Toompea Castle where there were great views of the city and the Gulf of Finland. The Castle dates back to the 13th Century and is fronted by the town’s Parliament house, which is PINK! We wandered into a small park next to the Castle where Shawn spotted a red and yellow post normally used in the reality show “Amazing Race.” Just a few minutes later in barrels a panting camera man running in front of two of the teams! They frantically looked around the park for the clue (which was the post) and as I caught eyes with the girl from the yellow team I pointed toward the other side of the park where the clue was waiting. Ha! Imagine that? Of all places in the world you happen to see the Amazing Race being filmed in TALLINN! Credits: Plaidmoon

Video find Credits to SlowhatchSlowhatchThe Trotter crew in this video and Primefun's video don't seem very energetic, but that might be misleading; anyway, the Trotters start sprinting once they reach the top of the street.

in reply to peachWe were there on 3 August. I think it was something like 11am in the morning (Estonia time). We were facing the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral with The Toompea Castle behind us. Then we saw the two guys rush out from a park on our right and shouted: "Taxi!". There were no taxi around so they started going uphill to our left. We then saw the crewmen behind them as they went past us and then uphill. That's when I took out my video camera and started shooting. I think they really were racing. I just went to google map, the place where I saw them is called "Lossi Plats" and they ran towards north on "Toom-Koli".We did not see any other team.

graytex *I've stumbled on some info that there may be a kayaking task in the Prague area tomorrow. Don't want to be too specific because I TAR and don't want to mess up our race!

**Blog info from one of our Prague kayakers (friend of the last guy we got info from):

06 August 2009

Over the past few days at Prague there has been heaps of people buzzing around setting up this massive rigging system over the course. First thoughts from the team were they were setting up power lines, then a big screen. As it took more shape and the removal of slalom gates at the top part of the course it was clear, a rope climb above the course for ‘The Amazing Race’. Turns out the show was filming here all day today. I had a few chats to the rigging guys and what a life they live, cruising the world to amazing places to film people! I apparently was filmed while doing my session as they were packing up the ropes etc, but wont know I guess until it comes out on TV.. One good way to get you to watch the show….

with the help of walkingpneumonia, Slowhatch, Boingo, Chateau, graytex and puddin and peach... task and photo evicdence starts here

Part of an addition to the TAR 15 article on Wikipedia that I had to remove due to lack of sourcing, but provided by user Awilmot there:"On Wednesday August 5th, I have just seen 2 teams at Prague Castle, which was their pit stop. One pretty team (guy and girl in blue) and one all guy team (one with dyed hair)."

Las Vegas, Nevada 8/7

Info starts here thanks to VegasSinner*They will be in Las Vegas today, 8/7. **[iIt's not odd if you live here...it's actually full of fun, entertainment and excitement! That's probably why they chose Vegas for their final destination.The last three teams flew in this afternoon at 1:45pm, their clue was to head to a wedding chapel on the Strip, walk in on a wedding taking place, and get the clue from the "King". Once they arrived in the chapel, there was a couple set up to pretend to get married by Elvis, Elvis then gave them the final clue which was to make their way over to the MGM hotel at the other end of the Strip to win. I have no proof. You'll just have to take my word for it, a total stranger, that lives and works in sin city. Thank you, thank you very much.] [/i]***No all female teams were among the three teams that arrived. ***** It was very hard to tell, they arrived all at the same time, so very unclear who is teamed up with who. There were four Males, and two females, one was black. I think was a Male/Male team, then a Male/Female team, and a Male/Black Female Team, but not totally sure.

peach The TAR Detective team has excellent reason to believe that the Finale Leg will take place in or near Las Vegas today! There may be tasks in the desert as well.

artlover33 * Hi everyone! This is my first post but I've been lurking here forever...................love everything you guys do around here this is one of my favorite sites!

I had to register because my sister is in Vegas and she just saw a team! She said she was driving down the strip and was stopped in traffic when two guys with a camera crew ran behind her car! She saw amazing race flags! She said she did not get a good look at them but only saw their backs. They were wearing green and grey backpacks and darted through the traffic across the street! That was the only information she could give me but I thought I should pass it along.

This siting was 3 hours ago..... ** Thanks Chateau! I just asked about the pink hair and my sister said she couldn't see it but my dad did! I sent her that picture you posted and asked for her to show the rest of the family she is with to see if everyone can confirm it was that team .....I will let you all know, but it seems like it is the right team to me! ***My sister said they were near ceasar's palace on the strip... And she just confirmed that is the team they saw! Do you guys think this is a team that is in the running for the finale or a decoy? ****They were running toward's Ceasar's Palace. My sister said they were full out running (that's why she didn't get a good look at their faces) She said she saw the camera men well and they were drenched in sweat..... my sister said that she first saw them on the sidewalk and when traffic stopped they darted out into the road to cross it and thats when they ran behind the car she was in.

artlover33 * Hi everyone! This is my first post but I've been lurking here forever...................love everything you guys do around here this is one of my favorite sites!

I had to register because my sister is in Vegas and she just saw a team! She said she was driving down the strip and was stopped in traffic when two guys with a camera crew ran behind her car! She saw amazing race flags! She said she did not get a good look at them but only saw their backs. They were wearing green and grey backpacks and darted through the traffic across the street! That was the only information she could give me but I thought I should pass it along

Racefan82 *This is my first time posting on this site and I have pics of teams in Vegas! Wish it hadn't taken me so long to post this, but I haven't had internet access until today. Just read some of the more recent posts and Im hoping this will shed some light into who our F3 might be. Was in Vegas over the weekend and a dream of mine came true, got to see the Amazing Race in action! I was on a balcony and below me, two teams came running by. Both teams looked lost like they were at the wrong place, since they ran down the street right after. Didn't see a third team, they could have come before I got there or went to a different spot. Tried to snap the best pictures I could. But to figure out the time issue, this was in the early afternoon, as I had just finished up with lunch at the buffet. So this would totally fit into the flight times being discussed. So this could confirm two of the F3. I definitely saw the guys in green with pink hair and the Globetrotter team.

Video, credits to Boingo for the find BoingoAuthor writes:While walking back to the Venetian on 8/7/09, we saw people in backpacks running and cameramen chasing them -- of course, my first thought was: The Amazing Race! This is the video I took of "the green team" getting into their cab. video link

Masada ? spec brought to us by caper * Friday, July 24, 2009Mysterious goings on in Ein Gedi For some wacky reason they've decided to give us a few days off next week.Something about a documentary film crew coming to stay - with celebrities and everything.I'm organizing a trip with some of the newbies to Massada and Jerusalem - staying at the Jaffa Gate hostel again.

Hmm, might be more exciting to stick around here though and play paparazzi! ** Thursday, July 30, 2009Amazing Race at Masada! Turns out the "documentary crew" thats staying at the kibbutz is the amazing race!

We got kicked out for 2 days, so I went with some of the vols down to Eilat. Before we left some of the film people arrived and they were taking over the whole east wing.

When we cam back north on our way to J'lem we were going to do the dawn climb up Masada, but it was closed. Gaurds everywhere!I recognized the amazing race flags on the jeeps they were using - American jeeps though in rainbow colors!

One of the english vols managed to get some pictures of the actors coming down the snake path and I checked out one of the vans they were using. The film permit said the amazing race!

The film permit site posted earlier today (Sante Fe and 6th) is only two blocks from the LA River. You see the LA River in a lot of TV shows and feature films. Most notably, it was the site for the drag race in the movie "Grease".

So maybe they are leaving from there or maybe Phil is filming his intro there.

Another interesting fact is this sign on a fence on Mesquite. It's obviously an old sign and not just recently placed there. So maybe this area is a common place to film the LA River.

Peach has been wonderful helping to post these pictures as I am not very good at this kind of thing.

Dear Lord: So far today, I'm doing alright. I have not gossiped, lost my temper, been greedy, grumpy, selfish or nasty. I have not gossiped, cursed, whined or eaten chocolate. However, I am going to get out of bed in a minute, and will need a lot more help then. Amen.

The Sixth Street Viaduct (designated as City of Los Angeles Bridge No. 53C-1880 and California Department of Transportation [Caltrans] Bridge No. 53-0595)[1] is an elevated four lane road that leads to downtown Los Angeles. Built in 1932, it spans 3,500 feet (1070 m) and has a roadway 46 feet (14 m) wide, with sidewalks on either side. The viaduct is composed of three independent structures: the reinforced concrete west portion, the central steel arch section over the Los Angeles River, and the reinforced concrete east portion.

It is also known as Whittier Boulevard as it intersects South Boyle Avenue, a residential street. The road becomes elevated as it rises over the Santa Ana Freeway going east, and it is still referred to as Whittier Blvd. When the road goes over the LA river, it becomes Sixth Street East, and it goes back to ground level and intersects at Mateo Street, an industrial street in an area of warehouses.

It is an iconic bridge with its concrete columns, bent caps, girders, and abutments and carries traffic over the Los Angeles River, the Santa Ana Freeway, several railroad tracks, and surface streets.

In 1986, the Caltrans’ bridge survey found the 6th Street Viaduct eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. [2]

It is also an extremely popular filming location.

Titles where the Viaduct is seen

FilmsGrease Freaky Friday Be Cool National Security Terminator 2 SWAT

Music videosMadonna video for What It Feels Like For A Girl single. Transplants video for Gangsters and Thugs single. System of a Down video for Lonely Day single. INXS video for Afterglow Pussycat Dolls video for Stickwitu Blink 182 video for Down Kanye West video for Jesus Walks Kid Rock video for American Bad Ass